TUHOE versus PAKEHA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 123, 14 February 1940, Page 3

TUHOE versus PAKEHA

FRICTIONS AND FIGHTS

(Continued from February 7th)

"We lired as fast as wc could load. Some men had two guns, and a person told off to load them. The cart-ridge-makers worked in an under-ground-chamber. When a man's box •was empty, he ran to iliat place to re-fill it, or the women carried them to us. There were six men who remained in that underground place making cartridges. They were Tc Whenuanui,, Rewi Maniapoto, Te Warn, Tc Hcuheu, Topatopa and Paora. "VY r e fought the soldiers a! I I hat day until night fell and the lighting continued for two days and a night. On the second day a £reat force of soldiers assaulted Omknu. Hapurona proposed that we should leave the pa and charge the soldiers but Ilewi said: "Do not leave the pa. The soldiers have now sat firmly down. They will not retire. We cannot drive them off but during the coming night, then it will be well to charge out of the fort." All the chiefs assented. "We slew many soldiers during those first two daj'S. We had no food for two days and two nights and fighting was our only food. What helped Tuhoe during the fighting was the way they tightly cinched their cartridge belts, so as to compress the stomach. This prevented the feelings of faintness caus ed by hunger. "During the second day was seen a pakeha method of fighting. Bags were filled with earth and then plac ed so as to protect the heads of the soldiers. Those soldiers had become cautious and kept at a distance while firing at us. They had also separated more than they had 011 the first day. So the braves of the Tuhoe pondered as to how this new method of fighting might be met." Kauaeroa Makes Endeavour. Kauaeroa, of the Tuhoe, said that he could accomplish the task of end ing the new method when the dusk came. When the evening arrived he seized his patiti. The soldiers were digging a sap near the pa. Some were in front, throwing out the earth. Behind them were others. Kauaeroa sprang from his position to the head of the sap and witli a blow of his tomahawk, killed Ihe foremost man in the ditch. It had been thought that when the first man was slain the others would retire, but they confounded expectations and remained in their positions On the third day the seige was successfully concluded. The pakehus assembled their regiments and they had dug their sap round a side of the fort until it was near the defences. It was filled with soldiers and many more collected in the hollow from which the sap had been commenced. And then, in accordance with precedents an it., traditions, the British bugles sounded, and the troops storm ed Orakau. In the words of PaitinL "We were driven from that fort like so many sheep." Paitini Carries On. "The soldieiv, were behind us and on both sides. Wc had no hope. They shot us, Avhere they could, t.hey stabbed us continually with their bayonets. We were driven for miles and the only thing tha. enabled a few of us to escape was the swamp; lhat swamp was our salvation. it was tiie cause of the pur-

suit lagging. "When we loft the defences we did so in a body, chiefs, fighting men, women and young people. I loaded my gun, a double-barrel, whilst running. "Tire soldiers were firing into us all the time. A fence, overgrown witJi fern, stood in front. As we scrambled over it we saw more soldiers, a long double line of them, and we rushed tllic line. They shot us and slabbed us but still we strove to break that line. As we reached it a soldierHried to bayonet me. I parried t!u point and shot that soldier. He fell against thu next man, who shook him oil", as a man from the rear line stepped forward to take the vacant place. 1

shot that man with mv second barre] and darted through the gap. -ini they got me. 1 had not run very far when I was shot through the thigh "I feared that the soldiers would bayonet me, so T crawled away int.? cover, dragging my gun after me. ! reloaded it, and stayed in my position till night fell, when I drawled away. My leg had lost all power and 1 had to drag it. We few survivois met at Aotearba and there Tapiki '•nt the bullet out of my leg. I got a stick and hobbled to llualabuna. Thus cutis the Orakau incident.